Amidst Jamaica’s dominant reggae and dancehall culture, rapper Five Steez is carving out a lane for hip hop. With every album, he crafts lyrics that challenge expectations, explore social realities and encourage self-belief. It is a journey that has demanded resilience, with the 39-year-old facing criticism over his sound while navigating an industry where opportunities for hip hop artists remain limited.

“I am a hip hop artist in Jamaica, where everything is based around reggae and dancehall. There’s no producer I can easily go to and they’re going to have me in the studio and produce me,” he shared.

For many artists, those realities would have been enough to rethink their careers. But Five Steez, born Peter Wright, chose instead to build the opportunities that did not exist. He filled the gaps himself, seeking out producers, creating stages to perform, building networks and helping nurture a community that could support Jamaican hip hop.